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Robert Whittaker closing as betting favorite to beat Paulo Costa in UFC 298 grudge fight in March

Finally expected to make his long-anticipated return to the Octagon at UFC 298 in March, former undisputed middleweight champion,…

Finally expected to make his long-anticipated return to the Octagon at UFC 298 in March, former undisputed middleweight champion, Robert Whittaker is hotly-closing as a short betting favorite to beat former title challenger, Paulo Costa in their grudge fight.

Whittaker, a former undisputed middleweight titleholder, and current number three ranked divisional contender, has been sidelined since he featured on the main card of UFC 290 back in July of last year during International Fight Week, suffering a shocking second round TKO loss to incoming UFC 297 headliner, Dricus du Plessis.

As for Belo Horizonte native, Costa, the former title chaser and current number six ranked challenger, has yet to feature in the Octagon since 2022, most recently beating former undisputed middleweight kingpin, Luke Rockhold in a unanimous decision effort, snapping his two-fight losing skid.

And following a host of fight fallouts – namely against the above-mentioned, Whittaker, Brazilian favorite, Costa is set to fight at UFC 298, however, is closing as a betting underdog.

Robert Whittaker betting favorite to beat Paulo Costa at UFC 298

And if you’re planning on betting on the -185 betting favorite, Robert Whittaker – you can find a detailed review by the Hudson Journal on betting in Australia, where the former champion has headlined in on multiple ocassions.

Closing as a betting underdog – drawing odds of +154 ahead of his scheduled return to the Octagon, Costa was initially expected to fight Robert Whittaker at UFC 294 back in February of last year ‘Down Under’, however, failed to pen official bout agreements for a middleweight clash.

And slated to then compete against unbeaten middleweight contender, Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294 back in October of last year in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Costa withdrew from the bout with the Chechen rival due to a nasty bursitis infection in his elbow – which required multiple surgery procedures in order to address.

Without a victory since the premier UFC Fight Night Paris card back in 2022, Robert Whittaker’s most recent win came in the form of a unanimous decision shutout victory over common-foe and former title chaser, Marvin Vettori in a trip to France.

Promoted to the undisputed middleweight titleholder following the official vacating of former two-weight gold holder, Georges St-Pierre, Whittaker turned in a pair of memorable wins over veteran fan-favorite,Yoel Romero during the Cuban powerhouse’s pomp.

Also set for an eye-catching UFC 298 card, undisputed featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski headlines in a title fight against unbeaten Georgian contender, Ilia Topuria in the promotion’s return to Anaheim, California.

Furthermore, a potential bantamweight title eliminator is on deck as former two-weight champion and Olympic gold medal winner, Henry Cejudo returns in a clash with another Georgian talent, the streaking, Merab Dvalishvili.

Attempting to earn a bantamweight title fight, the pair are sure to have a keen eye on the main event of UFC 299 in April, as polarizing star, Sean O’Malley takes on Ecuadorian favorite, Marlon Vera in his first attempted defense of the bantamweight crown – as the two share the Octagon for the second time since a 2020 grudge match.

Who wins in the UFC 298 grudge fight: Robert Whittaker or Paulo Costa?

Chris Weidman offers to step in against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294 in place of Paulo Costa

Former UFC middleweight Chris Weidman offers to step in for Paulo Costa and take on Khamzat Chimaev on short…

Former UFC middleweight Chris Weidman offers to step in for Paulo Costa and take on Khamzat Chimaev on short notice.

Come fight night, the UFC 294 card is set to look considerably different to than it did just at the beginning of the week. Charles Oliveira is out of his fight with Islam Makhachev and will be replaced by Alexander Volkanovski.

Now it seems that Costa will be replaced in his co-main slot against Chimaev after the Brazilian announced that had surgery on his elbow just a few weeks ago.

“Yeah, it’s possible,” White said of the fight falling through. “Hopefully in a couple hours I’ll have an answer for you.

“We’re talking to a couple of people right now.”

If Costa is to be pulled out of the Chimaev bout, it would mark yet another cancelled fight, which is unfortunate considering his fun and explosive fighting style

Chris Weidman calls for matchup

While finding an opponent for Chimaev on just 10 days notice, and considering the fight being all the way in Abu Dhabi, there will be someone brave enough. Going through the top-15 there isn’t a whole lot of names that could realistically take the fight considering injuries, bookings and individual situations.

However, Chris Weidman threw his name his name into contention, and really that’s no shock considering the gameness of the 39-year-old. ‘The All-American’ has taken on the best if the best since entering the UFC at just 6-0.

“I’d be down for that fight with Chimaev”, Weidman Tweeted following the news of a potential Costa pull out.

Weidman is at the end of the career and has just come back after a horrific leg break. The former 185lb king has also began to take more loses as of late, but was incredible during his prime.

Should Chris Weidman be sent in to face Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 296?

Paulo Costa Lobbies for Middleweight Clash with Conor McGregor: ‘Chandler can’t fight at 185’

Paulo Costa believes he would make a better opponent for Conor McGregor than Michael Chandler. After struggling at times…

Paulo Costa believes he would make a better opponent for Conor McGregor than Michael Chandler.

After struggling at times to make the middleweight limit of 185 pounds, Costa likely never thought he would find himself with an opportunity to share the Octagon with the former featherweight and lightweight world champion, but here we are. On New Year’s Day, McGregor revealed that his long-awaited return to action would come on June 29 as part of the promotion’s annual International Fight Week in Las Vegas.

However, the most interesting part of his announcement was the Irishman’s claim that his quote-unquote “greatest comeback in combat sport’s history” would be at middleweight.

Taking to social media, Costa immediately entered his name into the Conor McGregor sweepstakes and even joked that he would be stepping in to replace Chandler. As it turns out, ‘The Eraser’ was way more serious than we initially thought.

“I think so, honestly,” Costa said on The MMA Hour, regarding a potential fight with McGregor. “I think this can happen, but we’re gonna fight in some way.”

Paulo Costa heaps praise on Conor McGregor

Continuing, Costa had nothing, but positive things to say about McGregor and shared why he believes a matchup between himself and the Irishman would be far more entertaining than the one being proposed.

“He’s moving up, and we don’t have too much middleweight guys right now,” Costa continued. “I think my style and his style is a good matchup. I think he’s huge, strong, good guy. He’s an exceptional fighter, I think. One of the best of all time.

“Chandler can’t fight at 185, I don’t think so. There is better matchups to McGregor at 185 than Michael Chandler.”

Having started his career at featherweight, jumping to lightweight, and dabbling in welterweight, the idea of Conor McGregor competing at middleweight is almost ludicrous. So much so that fighters and fans alike were immediately skeptical, suggesting ‘Mystic Mac’ was just playing with his prey.

Costa, on the other hand, believes McGregor is 100 percent serious about his middleweight move, and ‘Borrachinha’ is more than convinced that the Irishman can pull it off.

“I think he can [fight at middleweight]. I think he’s serious,” Costa said of McGregor. “He’s so confident on his skills and I think he can. Maybe he makes some jokes. You know? Maybe welterweight is the best for him” (h/t MiddleEasy).

Costa is expected to make his return on February 17 when he steps inside the Octagon at UFC 298 for a showdown with former middleweight world champion Robert Whittaker.

Paulo Costa determined to make ‘Dream Fight’ against Khamzat Chimaev a reality: ‘It Has to Happen’

Though he’s already scheduled for a scrap with Robert Whittaker on February 17, Paulo Costa has high hopes that…

Though he’s already scheduled for a scrap with Robert Whittaker on February 17, Paulo Costa has high hopes that he’ll share the Octagon with Khamzat Chimaev in 2024.

Costa and Chimaev have been looking to settle their rivalry inside the cage for some time. They nearly did just that in October when they were scheduled to square off as part of the promotion’s return to Abu Dhabi. Unfortunately, Costa was forced to withdraw from the contest after developing an infection in his elbow that required multiple surgeries to repair.

Chimaev went on to earn a majority decision against late-notice replacement Kamaru Usman while Costa has moved on to a meeting with Robert Whittaker, scheduled for UFC 298 next month.

Appearing on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, ‘The Eraser’ shared some insight as to why he opted to accept a fight with Whittaker rather than attempting to rebook his long-awaited meeting with the undefeated Chechen monster.

“I was trying to fight Gourmet Chen Chen — Chimaev,” Costa said. “I was trying. Since I could not fight, and he fought against Kamaru — he won, but he didn’t convince anyone I don’t think, me and the people I talk with, at least, and most of the fans I don’t think. I was not convinced he’s the guy, No. 1 contender. So I keep trying that fight, pushing for that fight. ‘OK guys, let’s make this fight happen,’ and what Hunter and the UFC guys said he’s not going to fight until June or July or something like that. …

“So then I needed to move. They said, ‘We have Whittaker.’ I said OK, let’s go” (h/t MMA Fighting).

Though he has an incredibly tough test against ‘The Reaper’ closing in, Paulo Costa still has his sights firmly set on throwing hands with Chimaev, preferably with the UFC middleweight title up for grabs.

“My dream fight is for the belt against Chen Chen,” Costa said. “I have no question about one fight, one matchup against Chimaev. I can bet everything on me. I’m so confident in that fight.

“This should happen, it has to happen. But they cannot force [him]. You don’t know how much everybody from the UFC forced, they actually forced Khamzat to fight me in Abu Dhabi. He [turned is down] three times last year. They put him in the corner and said, ‘OK, so you’re going to fight no one if you don’t fight Paulo.’ They made him a very good contract, like $2 million, to sign this deal. But Allah saved him. God saved him, just for now.”

Costa’s return to the Octagon will be his first fight since a bizarrely entertaining tussle with former middleweight titleholder Luke Rockhold in August 2022. Since then, Costa has seen three fights fall through for varying reasons.

Here’s to hoping that we’ll actually see ‘Borrachinha’ make the walk in a few short weeks.

Paulo Costa unsure fight with Robert Whittaker happens at UFC 298: ‘I didn’t sign yet, I don’t know what happened’

Despite being slated to fight former undisputed middleweight champion, Robert Whittaker at UFC 298 next month in Anaheim, California,…

Despite being slated to fight former undisputed middleweight champion, Robert Whittaker at UFC 298 next month in Anaheim, California, polarizing division contender, Paulo Costa has claimed he has yet to put pen to paper on a bout agreement to fight the ex-titleholder – nor has he received one as of yet from the organization.

Costa, the current number six ranked middleweight contender, has been sidelined for over a year, making his most recent outing in a unanimous decision win over former champion, Luke Rockhold at UFC 278 in August 2022.

And booked to make his comeback in a high-stakes title-eliminator against the unbeaten, Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294 in October last, Costa was forced from the Abu Dhabi, UAE grudge match with the former after he developed a nasty bursitis infection in his elbow ahead of the bout, requiring numerous surgical procedures to address.

Paulo Costa unsure if Robert Whittaker fight happens at UFC 298

Expected to make his return to the Octagon as part of UFC 298 next month in Anaheim at the Toyota Center, Costa has claimed, however, that he has yet to fight former gold holder, Whittaker at the event – and has yet to even receive an official bout agreement from the promotion for the middleweight battle.

“I’ll tell you, I didn’t sign [bout agreement] yet,” Paulo Costa told MMA Fighting. “They [the UFC] didn’t send. They didn’t send the email – I’m waiting on this email. I don’t know what happened. But, they said Anaheim. I’m okay with Anaheim, I like the Californian people, I spent a couple of months there last year…”

“The only problem with Anaheim is the tax – of Calfiornia, high tax,” Paulo Costa explained. “They say Anaheim, so I think the fight is gonna happen.”

Sidelined since a July knockout loss to incoming title chaser, Dricus du Plessis, former champion, Whittaker was expected to fight Belo Horizonte native, Costa at UFC 284 back in February of last year, however, similarly, the latter insisted he had not officially signed to fight the ex-champion.

Do you expect Paulo Costa to fight Robert Whittaker at UFC 298?

Paulo Costa Reacts to Conor McGregor’s UFC 302 announcement, calls for a clash with the Irishman

With the news that Conor McGregor’s long-awaited return to the Octagon would be at middleweight, fighters and fans already…

With the news that Conor McGregor’s long-awaited return to the Octagon would be at middleweight, fighters and fans already doing some fantasy matchmaking for the future.

After literal years of speculation, we now know that the Irishman will make his “greatest comeback in combat sports history” on June 28. On that date, he is expected to headline UFC 302 as part of the promotion’s annual International Fight Week event in Las Vegas. McGregor confirmed that he would square off with ‘Iron’ Michael Chandler, but threw fans a curveball when he added that the bout would take place at 185 pounds.

With McGregor moving up three weight classes from where his UFC career began, there are a lot of intriguing money-matchups to be made. Unsurprisingly, one-time middleweight title challenger Paulo Costa was one of the first to throw his name into the mix for a clash with the new buffed-up version of ‘Mystic Mac.

“I gonna step in replacing chandler,” Costa wrote in response to McGregor’s fight announcement online.

I gonna step in replacing chandler https://t.co/6YbC4tlCzc

— Paulo Costa ( Borrachinha ) (@BorrachinhaMMA) December 31, 2023

Costa followed that up with another post, saying:

“Costa x Mc Gregor at 185lbs”

Like McGregor, Paulo Costa is expected to make his Octagon return in 2024

Fans have not seen ‘The Eraser’ in action since he won a bizarrely entertaining encounter with former middleweight world champion Luke Rockhold in August 2022. Following the contest, he underwent a lengthy contract negotiation with the UFC. Signing a new deal that reportedly guarantees him upwards of $1 million per fight, Costa has been booked for not one, but two fights that ultimately fell through.

He was first expected to make his Octagon return against Ikram Aliskerov in July, but the fight was canceled after he had accepted a contest with Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294. Two weeks before fight night in Abu Dhabi, Costa revealed that he had undergone elbow surgery due to an infection. With a second surgery necessary, Costa was forced out of the bout altogether.

He is now scheduled to square off with perennial contender and former 185-pound king Robert Whittaker at UFC 298 in February.